Unlock Potential. Find Your Password! #SPAW2018

Unlock Potential. Find Your Password!
It is School Psychology Awareness Week, and the goal is to illuminate how identifying strength and action passwords can direct students to take steps toward positive change.
Passwords such as imagine, encourage, learn, connect, and contribute can push us forward to help students develop critical academic and social-emotional skills. These words can launch conversations about how to help students and staff unlock resources, reach potential, and develop proactive and preventive skills to thrive in school and in life.
Superintendent Sean Dusek said, “I really appreciate the efforts of our school psychologists and their dedication to our students and ...

Celebrate Jason Daniels, Alaska State Finalist for the PAEMST!

Jason Daniels, Alaska State Finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
“Our children, to a greater and greater degree, will inherit a world full of STEM, which is all the more reason to set our students up for success by providing quality experiences in the STEM field, whether it be through career exploration, like Upstream Academy, or project-based learning in the classroom. STEM experiences are so important!”
–Jason Daniels, KPBSD teacher, and PAEMST finalist
A fifth grade teacher at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Jason Daniels enjoys working with kids every bit ...

Resources for Budget Development Forum at 22 school sites

Budget Development with every KPBSD site council
Building a school budget is foundational to schools, so bring your questions and concerns about funding, expenditures, and priorities.
Everyone is invited to participate. October 30, 2018. Twenty-two school locations. One hour, 6:00 - 6:30 PM
Resources:
Watch Superintendent Sean Dusek and Assistant Superintendent Dave Jones budget presentation 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. delivered via PolyCom
Follow along: District Budget PowerPoint presentation, October 30, 2018
KPBSD Finance webpage
Are there additional students services that need to be added to the budget?
Is it time to utilize expenditure reductions previously considered, but not implemented?
Soldotna, October 22, 2018—The process is rolling forward for Fiscal Year ...

KPBSD Key Communicators – Champions for Children

Nearly 50 parents, students, elected officials, district leadership team, regional principals, and community partners gathered for a Key Communicator Evening “Champions for Our Children” at Skyview Middle School, on Thursday, October 25, 2018. Three quick hours passed with an energetic keynote presentation about Personalized Learning (PL) in KPBSD, and other programs of interest through station rotations. Everyone could chose two of the four topics: School Climate and Student Safety; Student Opportunities; Public Advocacy; and General Fund Budget. Identified through a survey ahead of time, district Leadership Team members facilitated the four areas of interest sessions based on their areas of ...

School progress reports in new Alaska System for School Success

October 23, 2018: The new System for School Success Reports accountability system for public schools in the State of Alaska released reports for the 2017-2018 school year. The rating system for schools is a federal requirement of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the new accountability system replaces the Alaska State Performance Index (ASPI) star rating classification.
Superintendent Sean Dusek explains: “The State of Alaska has rolled out the results of our new school accountability system. The majority of our schools are doing very well and while every school is working hard to improve, we have some schools that will develop ...

Twenty-two schools to host district budget forum

Creating district and school budgets is a foundation for quality instruction and school culture. How will you be involved?
Budget Development with every KPBSD site council
22 KPBSD school sites, Tuesday, October 30, 6:00 PM
Soldotna, October 22, 2018—The process is rolling forward for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget planning, and decisions must be made with the best information available. At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, KPBSD school principals will meet with site-councils and the public after a live video-streamed presentation from the district to 22 school sites.
“We are entering a critical time in our district’s financial life,” said Superintendent Sean Dusek. ...

Seward Area Schools Delay Start 10.17.18

►ALERT: TWO HOUR DELAY START* for these Seward area KPBSD schools on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018 due to weather conditions.
Moose Pass School
Seward Elementary
Seward High School
Seward Middle School
If weather and road conditions warrant a full closure, an announcement will be made by 8:00 AM.
*A two hour delay means that buses run two hours later than normal, school begins two hours later than normal, and staff arrives at school two hours later than normal.
Parents and guardians, if you decide, based on conditions near you to keep your child at home, kindly call your school to let them know. ...

College Fair for teens in Kenai, Alaska

News Release
9th Annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair
Nearly 50 educational institutions will send representatives to meet with KPBSD high school students on
Tuesday, October 16, 2018, from 10:00—1:00
in the Kenai Central High School gymnasium.
The ninth annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair is free, and no appointments are needed. Students and parents can learn more about scholarships, loans, state and federal financial aid programs at the Financial Aid booth. KPBSD juniors and seniors will attend with their schools. Connections, IDEA and Cook Inlet Academy students can sign-in at the door. KPBSD students need to sign-up with their school counselor to attend; transportation is provided.
Confirmed ...

Homer Middle School, 2018 National Blue Ribbon School

News Release
Homer Middle School achieves 2018 National Blue Ribbon School recognition
“It is with great pride for Homer Middle School to be recognized as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Students, staff, parents, and the community of Homer are all responsible for this extraordinary achievement. This accomplishment is a result of support, hard work and dedication to high academic expectations that makes Homer Middle School one of the best schools in the Great State of Alaska.” –Kari Dendurent, Homer Middle School principal
"Congratulation on your students' accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs," said U.S. Secretary ...

Native Education Advisory Committee seeks members to serve

Is setting priorities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of our 1,200 Alaska Native and Native American students of value to you?
Do you believe it is important to encourage or assist our Alaska Native and Native American students to stay in school and pursue further education?
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Title VI (Indian Education), formerly known as Title VII, seeks parent, student, and staff advisory committee representatives. The qualities desirable in the members of the advisory committee are:
Willingness to actively participate
Involvement in community affairs
Represent the interest of all children ...

It is School Psychology Awareness Week, and the goal is to illuminate how identifying strength and action passwords can direct students to take steps toward positive change.

Passwords such as imagine, encourage, learn, connect, and contribute can push us forward to help students develop critical academic and social-emotional skills. These words can launch conversations about how to help students and staff unlock resources, reach potential, and develop proactive and preventive skills to thrive in school and in life.

Superintendent Sean Dusek said, “I really appreciate the efforts of our school psychologists and their dedication to our students and schools! If you get a chance this week, please help me in thanking our school psychologists for their work!”

The eleven KPBSD school psychologists serve all of our schools in different ways depending on their needs. From teaching health lessons dealing with social and emotional learning, to doing lunch groups, and providing input at the district level, we strive to unlock potential. We contribute to teams of people to support students with disabilities as well as school teams working to intervene early to prevent problems. We provide risk assessments for students struggling, as well as responding when crisis does hit our schools. We have a wide variety of expertise and can always find ways to support our students, teachers, and staff!

Clayton Holland, Director of Pupil Services said, “School psychologists are known for their role with special education evaluations, but our KPBSD School Psychologists do so much more than that. They do a tremendous amount of work to keep our students safe. Our school psychologist were key to the district development and implementation of our suicide and self-injurious behavior assessments. They help lead school responses to a tragedy or crisis that impacts our staff and students, and are leaders in our school-wide efforts with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and with the implementation of behavior and academic intervention process. The KPBSD school psychologists are leaders in their field and our recognized as such in the state of Alaska. We are proud to have the Alaska School Psychologist of the Year, Dr. Terese Kashi, in our ranks.”

Jason Daniels, Alaska State Finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching

“Our children, to a greater and greater degree, will inherit a world full of STEM, which is all the more reason to set our students up for success by providing quality experiences in the STEM field, whether it be through career exploration, like Upstream Academy, or project-based learning in the classroom. STEM experiences are so important!”

–Jason Daniels, KPBSD teacher, and PAEMST finalist

A fifth grade teacher at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Jason Daniels enjoys working with kids every bit as much today as he did when he first started teaching 20 years ago. Jason teaches English-Language Arts and Math, as well as Health, German language, and STEM. He graduated from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Elementary Education and received his Masters in Educational Technology from the University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau.

Jason is an International Teaching Fellow and a National Board Certified Teacher, which highlights his interest in global understandings and pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning. His favorite subject is science. Jason enjoys interacting with students through hands on authentic learning experiences in and out of the classroom.

Every month he takes his class on the Adopt-a-Stream Program* where everyone becomes a custodian and caretaker of the local salmon spawning stream at Slikok Creek. He coordinated a NASA astronaut visit to his school, a visit from STARlab portable planetarium, and currently he takes part in Upstream Academy, whose mission is to increase STEM awareness among middle school students, especially those from under-served populations.

Staying active is an important part of Jason’s career. For the past 18 years he has coached wrestling, modeling good sportsmanship, perseverance, and character building. In 2012, Jason completed an Australian Teacher Exchange and taught in Australia for a year. He loves teaching, learning, and challenging himself in new ways. He also enjoys traveling and outdoor adventures with his wife.

“I have been fortunate to know Mr. Daniels for many years and have seen him in action with his students,” said Superintendent Sean Dusek. “He is one of our district’s finest educators, especially in the areas of engaging students, integrating technology in the curriculum and most importantly, demonstrating a high level of care for all of his students. I can give no higher praise than to say that I would have my own children in his classroom if given the chance. He is truly exceptional.”

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics or science (including computer science) teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Up to 108 teachers are recognized each year.

Presidential Awardees receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a trip to Washington D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

* The Slikok Creek Adopt a Stream Program is a fifth grade program at K-Beach Elementary. Both Mr. Daniel’s class, together with fifth grade teacher Suzanne Klaben’s class participate. Daniels and Klaben coordinate to take their classes down once a month and work together for this interactive hands on program.

Are there additional students services that need to be added to the budget?

Is it time to utilize expenditure reductions previously considered, but not implemented?

Soldotna, October 22, 2018—The process is rolling forward for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget planning, and decisions must be made with the best information available. At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, KPBSD school principals will meet with site-councils and the public after a live video-streamed presentation from the district to 22 school sites.

“We are entering a critical time in our district’s financial life,” said Superintendent Sean Dusek. “For several years, KPBSD has been forced to utilize savings to mitigate deep cuts to the classroom. The time for sustainable, adequate funding from the state and borough is upon us. As we begin this year’s process, we are asking all of our stakeholders to be engaged to help prioritize programs and services offered in our district. We have had to make many difficult decisions in the last few years, as our funding has not kept up with costs, such as healthcare. We hope this process will help inform our state and borough leaders of the needs our students and communities have to continue to provide an excellent education. I look forward to beginning this discussion and supporting all stakeholders to participate in the district, borough and state budgeting process.”

WHO
*Site-Councils, together with everyone who is interested—parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials—are invited to participate.

Creating district and school budgets is a foundation for quality instruction and school culture. During this October 30 meeting, an opportunity to learn about reductions which have been considered in the past—some implemented, some not—as well as potential new or additional revenue will be explored. When you attend this meeting, you will learn about district and school level considerations, and potential scenarios going forward, as the budget process begins. Although this is primarily for site councils, everyone is encouraged to participate.*

“Our annual budget is one of the most important things we do each year,” said Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. “We want to give our parents, staff, students, and community members a chance to learn about our budget, participate in the process, and offer input. The meeting on October 30 is an important step in the process to develop the FY20 budget. We hope to see a large turnout at all our schools across the district.”

Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during future board meetings and work sessions.

Nearly 50 parents, students, elected officials, district leadership team, regional principals, and community partners gathered for a Key Communicator Evening “Champions for Our Children” at Skyview Middle School, on Thursday, October 25, 2018. Three quick hours passed with an energetic keynote presentation about Personalized Learning (PL) in KPBSD, and other programs of interest through station rotations. Everyone could chose two of the four topics: School Climate and Student Safety; Student Opportunities; Public Advocacy; and General Fund Budget. Identified through a survey ahead of time, district Leadership Team members facilitated the four areas of interest sessions based on their areas of expertise.

A lively, informative evening, everyone attending offered positive reflections and feedback. Superintendent Sean Dusek, who provided a district update said, “I am very pleased with the participation and work that occurred at our most recent Key Communicator meeting. Our instructional efforts, challenges and proactive measures were discussed and many questions, suggestions and reflections were gathered to help ensure our schools’ stories are clearly shared across the borough and state.”

To learn more about KPBSD Key Communicators, be added to the email list, or become involved, review the webpage, or email Pegge Erkeneff, Communications Liaison, at Pegge @ KPBSD.org.Presentation Materials in PDF format:

October 23, 2018: The new System for School Success Reports accountability system for public schools in the State of Alaska released reports for the 2017-2018 school year. The rating system for schools is a federal requirement of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the new accountability system replaces the Alaska State Performance Index (ASPI) star rating classification.

Superintendent Sean Dusek explains: “The State of Alaska has rolled out the results of our new school accountability system. The majority of our schools are doing very well and while every school is working hard to improve, we have some schools that will develop plans to address specific areas identified through their designation. I appreciate the efforts of our staff in ensuring high student academic achievement and the attitude of continuous improvement. We look forward to next year’s results as we expect even more student learning growth.”

The new accountability system ranks schools on a 100-point scale, based on student growth and proficiency in state assessments, chronic absenteeism, high school graduation, and student growth in learning English for students identified as English Language Learners (ELL). Based on the 100-point scale, schools receive an index score every year.

The new system does not focus exclusively on a test score, and includes additional indicators for student success. Five indicators are assessed for K-6 grades, and six are assessed for 7-12 grades. Several rules have been established to protect student privacy and to be fair to all schools.

Meeting these indicators is in alignment with the KPBSD five-year strategic plan.

The indicator index applies to the student body as a whole and to subgroups that have at least five students. The subgroups are: students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, Alaska Natives and American Indians, Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Mixed Race, and Asian/Pacific Islanders.

Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson explains, “There are three types of school designations: Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), and Universal Support. The primary purpose of these school designations is to provide information for families, tribes, communities, educators, and policy makers to plan and support an equitable education for each student in Alaska’s public school system.”

In the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, two schools are designated CSI, two schools are designated TSI, one school is pending, and 38 schools receive the Universal Support designation. The 2017-2018 results can be viewed online.

Parents will continue to receive reports on their student’s performance on state English Language Arts and Math assessments. Questions about specific school accountability reports can be asked directly to school principals.

Creating district and school budgets is a foundation for quality instruction and school culture. How will you be involved?

Budget Development with every KPBSD site council22 KPBSD school sites, Tuesday, October 30, 6:00 PM

Soldotna, October 22, 2018—The process is rolling forward for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget planning, and decisions must be made with the best information available. At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, KPBSD school principals will meet with site-councils and the public after a live video-streamed presentation from the district to 22 school sites.

“We are entering a critical time in our district’s financial life,” said Superintendent Sean Dusek. “For several years, KPBSD has been forced to utilize savings to mitigate deep cuts to the classroom. The time for sustainable, adequate funding from the state and borough is upon us. As we begin this year’s process, we are asking all of our stakeholders to be engaged to help prioritize programs and services offered in our district. We have had to make many difficult decisions in the last few years, as our funding has not kept up with costs, such as healthcare. We hope this process will help inform our state and borough leaders of the needs our students and communities have to continue to provide an excellent education. I look forward to beginning this discussion and supporting all stakeholders to participate in the district, borough and state budgeting process.”

WHO
*Site-Councils, together with everyone who is interested—parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials—are invited to participate.

Creating district and school budgets is a foundation for quality instruction and school culture. During this October 30 meeting, an opportunity to learn about reductions which have been considered in the past—some implemented, some not—as well as potential new or additional revenue will be explored. When you attend this meeting, you will learn about district and school level considerations, and potential scenarios going forward, as the budget process begins. Although this is primarily for site councils, everyone is encouraged to participate.*

“Our annual budget is one of the most important things we do each year,” said Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. “We want to give our parents, staff, students, and community members a chance to learn about our budget, participate in the process, and offer input. The meeting on October 30 is an important step in the process to develop the FY20 budget. We hope to see a large turnout at all our schools across the district.”

Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during future board meetings and work sessions.

9th Annual Kenai Peninsula College FairNearly 50 educational institutions will send representatives to meet with KPBSD high school students on
Tuesday, October 16, 2018, from 10:00—1:00
in the Kenai Central High School gymnasium.

The ninth annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair is free, and no appointments are needed. Students and parents can learn more about scholarships, loans, state and federal financial aid programs at the Financial Aid booth. KPBSD juniors and seniors will attend with their schools. Connections, IDEA and Cook Inlet Academy students can sign-in at the door. KPBSD students need to sign-up with their school counselor to attend; transportation is provided.

“We are excited to have so many post-secondary institutions visiting our district to meet with our students,” said Sean Dusek, Superintendent. “This partnership allows our students to explore their college and career aspirations in a convenient and safe location. This is due to the large number of students in our district that are qualified for post-secondary education.”

“It is with great pride for Homer Middle School to be recognized as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Students, staff, parents, and the community of Homer are all responsible for this extraordinary achievement. This accomplishment is a result of support, hard work and dedication to high academic expectations that makes Homer Middle School one of the best schools in the Great State of Alaska.” –Kari Dendurent, Homer Middle School principal

“Congratulation on your students’ accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in an October 1, 2018, video message announcing the awardees. “We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and meaningful lives.” Homer Middle School is a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School, based on overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

One of three schools in Alaska to receive this distinguished honor in 2018, Homer Middle School, in Homer, Alaska, joins ten other schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) to achieve the National Blue Ribbon excellence designation. Nationwide, 349 schools are honored with 2018 National Blue Ribbon School recognition.

“I am very proud of the effort our staff and students put in at Homer Middle School,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “This is a very well deserved award that exemplifies what is happening around KPBSD. Congratulations Homer Middle School! Great job and I look forward to many more years of great leadership, excellent instruction, and significant student learning growth.”

“These three diverse Alaskan schools are excellent examples of educational communities coming together to support all students, every day,” said Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson. “I am pleased that Homer Middle School, Pioneer Peak Elementary School and, for the second time, Stellar Secondary School are being recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools. Congratulations to the students, staff, and families of these schools. Alaska is very proud of you!”

The U.S. Department of Education will honor the 300 public and 49 private schools at a recognition ceremony on November 7-8, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

Links:

2018 National Blue Ribbon School announcement from S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos

Is setting priorities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of our 1,200 Alaska Native and Native American students of value to you?

Do you believe it is important to encourage or assist our Alaska Native and Native American students to stay in school and pursue further education?

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Title VI (Indian Education), formerly known as Title VII, seeks parent, student, and staff advisory committee representatives. The qualities desirable in the members of the advisory committee are:

Willingness to actively participate

Involvement in community affairs

Represent the interest of all children in the KPBSD who are eligible for Title VI

Committee members must commit to quarterly meetings, usually held at the KPBSD office building in Soldotna. Remote area representatives participate via Skype for Business.

Seats by Region

Parent RepresentativeA parent is any person who on the date of election for Advisory Committee membership is the parent, acting local parent, legal guardian, or elder of a student currently eligible for Title VI and enrolled in KPBSD

Seat D—Region 4 (Ninilchik, Anchor Point, Homer)

Seat E—Region 5 (Seldovia, Nanwalek, Port Graham)

Seat F—At-Large (any region)

Student RepresentativeAny KPBSD Title VI enrolled student

Seat G—At-large

Seat H—At-large

Staff RepresentativeAny KPBSD employee

Seat I—At-large

The KPBSD Title VI Advisory Committee is a requirement of the federal government to receive Title VI funds and assists KPBSD in setting the priorities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of Alaska Native and Native American student population. The KPBSD Title VI Advisory Committee will also consider and make recommendations as to programs, projects, or other efforts specifically aimed at encouraging or assisting Alaska Native and Native American students to stay in school and pursue further education.

Nominations for membership are due by noon on September 28, 2018. (scroll to the bottom of the webpage for nominations.) Return your completed nomination by region to Conrad Woodhead, KPBSD Native Education Coordinator, at cwoodhead@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. Questions? Please call 907-235-8671.

A Title VI Advisory Committee Meeting will take place October 3, 3018, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m., Borough Assembly Chambers, or via Skype.